His 2011 volume, "Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865," documents the persistence of slavery in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin through the end of the Civil War. Although African American slavery was banned in the region in 1787, slaves were held here by soldiers and federal officials.

His previous books, “A Critical History of Soul Train on Television,” “The Colored Cartoon: Black Representation in American Animated Short Films” and “American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era” drew national reviews and media coverage.

Last summer Lehman was a Summer Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research through the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A professor of ethnic studies, Lehman coordinates the African American Studies minor at St. Cloud State and is the former faculty adviser for the Council of African American Students on campus.

Lehman holds a bachelor's degree in history from Oklahoma State University. He earned his advanced degrees at University of Massachusetts Amherst: a master’s in history and doctorate in African American studies.

St. Cloud State, where Lehman has taught since 2002, is his first full-time posting.